\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{pgfplots}
\begin{document}%
%\tracingmacros=2 \tracingcommands=2
\begin{tikzpicture}
\begin{axis}[ymode=log, log basis y=10,title=unrestricted]
\addplot coordinates {(0, 1.1e1) (1, 1.7e3) (2, 0.0e0) (2, 3.4e7) (4, 8.1e5)};
\end{axis}
\end{tikzpicture}
%
\begin{tikzpicture}
\begin{axis}[ymode=log, log basis y=10,restrict y to domain=1:6,title=restricted]
\addplot coordinates {(0, 1.1e1) (1, 1.7e3) (2, 0.0e0) (2, 3.4e7) (4, 8.1e5)};
\end{axis}
\end{tikzpicture}
%
\begin{tikzpicture}
\begin{axis}[ymode=log, restrict expr to domain={y}{10:1e6},title=restricted by expr]
\addplot coordinates {(0, 1.1e1) (1, 1.7e3) (2, 0.0e0) (2, 3.4e7) (4, 8.1e5)};
\end{axis}
\end{tikzpicture}
\end{document}
